This week, President Obama debuted a $1.1 million campaign bus, one-half of the pair of buses he and the Republican nominee will use in the 2012 race. TIME takes a look at other famous buses that, while cheaper, took their passengers to big places

The Partridge Family Bus

By Nick CarboneWednesday, Aug. 17, 2011

Everett

Every self-respecting band needs a comfortable home away from home, even if it typically shares a home anyway. The Partridge Family, the beloved group of musical siblings piloted by their overzealous mom, rode around the U.S. in style with their Mondrian-inspired 1957 Chevy bus. It was once a school bus, but the Partridges swapped the bright yellow hue for the gridlocked blocks of primary colors in the famed style of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. The bright tones provided the perfect whimsical vehicle for the traveling band's four seasons on television, steering the Partridge Family straight to fame. But sadly the bus saw no glory of its own; instead the multicolored people mover found its final resting place in a Los Angeles junkyard in 1987.